Download of the Week: Tzusing

東方不敗 (named after a character, ‘Dōngfāng bùbài’ which means ‘Invincible East’, in a Jin Yong novel) is the debut album from Malaysia-born, Singapore/Taiwan/Shanghai/US-raised producer Tzusing. I found reference to this record on a The Wire's year-end list, found the record on Bandcamp (released on L.I.E.S.), hit Play, hit Buy Now. In short order.

東方不敗 hits my ears as Industrial while it hits my body like a freight train (EBM). Massive sonic missives from a dark place, Tzusing's sound sounds like he's be at this for a lifetime, crossed over into a Neuromancer kinda deal, and come back all the wiser. If you like your music with hard-core beats, folk touches from the Middle and Far East, and menacing as hell, give this record a spin.

What I always found interesting about Dongfang Bubai is that he is a person that was fighting for this sacred scroll with the secret of becoming the most powerful swordsman in China. A few people actually found this scroll. After they read it, for some of them it was like a joke, because you have to cut off your balls and become a eunuch to learn this martial art.

What’s interesting about that is that to become the most powerful man, you have to sacrifice the thing that’s a symbol of power and masculinity. Negating power makes you the most powerful. I just really like that idea.

Thanks for the recommendation, Michael! The first track is definitely the standout, but some of the others are interesting, too. This is one of those albums that makes me see how loud I can play my system, then straighten the pictures on the walls afterwards.